The present invention relates to a container which facilitates the transportation of loaded grocery or shopping bags in a vehicle station wagon, hatchback, van, and the like. More particularly, the present invention relates to a shopping bag holder or container intended to be attached to a vehicle and having a plurality of open topped receptacles, each receptacle being adapted to receive and support a shopping bag in an upright position during transportation thereof in the associated vehicle. In accordance with the present invention, the container is movable between a first position and a second position to facilitate the loading and unloading of each shopping bag into and from the container.
The problems associated with loading, transporting, and unloading grocery or shopping bags after a visit to a supermarket or other store are well known to most consumers. Of course, each grocery or shopping bag must be maintained in an upright position so that the contents do not spill onto the floor of the vehicle, or worse yet, onto the ground. Where a plurality of bags are involved, it is often difficult to place each bag in the vehicle in such a location that another bag can be placed therein. Often, earlier placed bags must be pushed to make room for later placed bags, resulting all to frequently in tearing or toppling of the earlier placed bags.
These problems are well known in the art and various devices have been proposed in the past for use in transporting loaded grocery bags. For example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,029,244 and 3,404,818 disclose collapsible or foldable devices for use in transporting loaded grocery bags. In addition, other carrying devices have been proposed for more general use, including luggage or package carriers for automobile trunks on the rear cargo area of station wagons such as those shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,091,069; 2,554,776; 2,953,287; 2,986,315; 3,132,781; and 3,375,959.
Wherefore it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved device for holding shopping bags in an upright position during the transportation thereof in a vehicle. Another object of the present invention is to provide a container having a plurality of receptacles, each of which is adapted to support a grocery bag in an upright position in the interior portion of a vehicle wherein the container is selectively movable with respect to the vehicle so that ready access to each receptacle can be had. Still another object of the present invention is to provide a container which can be selectively attached or detached and removed from an associated vehicle. Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a container which can be easily and economically manufactured from modern materials and installed on an associated vehicle. These and other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will be readily apparent from the following disclosure and appended claims taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.